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(No Model A. N. HOX'IE & E. COLLINS.

I FISH TRAP. No. 252,466. Patented Jan. 17,1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT N. HOXIE,'OF FOXBOROUGH, MASSAOHUSETTS, AND EDWARD COLLINS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FISH-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,466, dated January 1'7, 1882. 1 Application filed September 1, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ALBERT NtoKERsoN HOXIE,ofFoxborough,countyofNorfolk,State of Massachusetts, and EDWARD COLLINS, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fish-Traps; and we do hereby declare that the following is a clear and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. The object of our invention is, first, to substitute hollow posts in the formation of a fishtrap; second, to strengthenthe posts by means of a movable frame.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a fish-trap embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line a a, Fig. l, of the same.

Letters A A represent a number of hollow posts, arranged as shown in Fig. 1. To these posts are fastened the net B. This arrangement forms what is called a fish-trap, and may be constructed any distance from shore in any body of water. From post a to the shore is placed the net b. Now, when the fish coming up or down the river strike the not b, they, not knowing whither to go, naturally follow the net b, and enter the opening ad the trap, and also opening 01 of the trap, until they find themselves in the inclosure f, through which they will swim until they are stopped by the net B around the inclosure, forming theoutside of the trap. When thefish find they cannot go farther they will follow the net B; but when they come to pointg, instead of going out of opening 11, they will take an angular course, (shown in dotted lines,) and come against net B again. Thus when the fish are once in the inclosnref they can never of themselves get freeagaini The posts of fish-traps heretofore were madeof wood driven down into the bed of the riverin the'same manner that wooden piles are driven.

down.

We employ hollow metal posts, as being more serviceable and better adapted to stand the wear and-tear. We sink thesehollow metal posts by hydraulic pressure, or by any other means. These posts are fastened together at their top by rod h.

G is a frame surrounding the pos s A, and serving as a buoy, and attached loosely to the posts and permitted to slide up and down the same, 'or held in position by aid'of set-screws or any other means.

What we claim is- In a fish-trap, the posts A A, made hollow, 

